Meet and Greet
by TappinCastlefan
Summary: Jim knows exactly whom he's seated opposite from. Post "Hunt" futurefic.


_Neither edited, nor beta-ed. Mistakes are all mine. Just had to get it out. _

_Read on!_

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It was a spur of the moment thing – to take his lunch in the park.

The office is crowded today and after the case he just finished up the last thing he wanted was crowded. Just his nice quiet lunch in the park, maybe call up Katie for dinner. Yeah, he though, dinner with Katie and Rick would be nice.

Jim is just about to bite into the simple sandwich from the dinner around the corner when he's joined on the bench.

The man doesn't speak. He just takes out a newspaper, leans back crossing an ankle over the opposite knee, and sniffs the cool autumn air.

It's not until he's cleaning up his crumbs when the man clears his throat.

"James? Beckett?"

Odd, but the man doesn't sound altogether threatening. So he turns, a slight nod to the address. "Can I help you?"

The sunglasses come off, the dark cap, too, and Jim knows exactly whom he's seated opposite from. As a father, one who's been there, everywhere and always for his child, he doesn't let the man even start.

"Should I call you 'Hunt' or would you prefer something else this time around?"

"No, no," his voice is soft yet equally confident as Jim's – prepared. "Hunt is fine."

"So…" The two eye each other awkwardly. Jim doesn't know if he's supposed to start or…if _he_ was planning on it. "Can I help you?"

"I assume since you know a name of mine that you know something of who – _what_ I am."

"Vaguely. I can make my own assumptions perfectly fine, but yes, my daughter has given me enough information for passing. You can trust me not to say anything more to anyone but she or our family."

"I know I can." Hunt is eying him, Jim knows, trying to analyze him for god-knows-what. "I'm glad they have you James. That Richard has you."

Jim smiles despite the sorrow and small bit of hatred he feels for the man who never got to know his son. "I'm happy to have him as well."

"Look, I know you probably don't think much of me, and I'm not going to try to justify myself to you-"

"No need." Jim stops him. "Like I said, Katie's told me enough, and…" he struggles to find the right words, "though I may not agree or understand what it is that you do, I can understand _why_ they never knew. I admire your commitment to keeping them safe."

Hunt's lips perk up ever so slightly with a thin smile. "Thank you. And to you, thank you. For, as you say, keeping them safe."

Jim can't help but laugh – just barely. "They don't really let me do much, but…thanks just the same."

"You're ah, probably wondering what the hell I'm doing here aren't you?"

"More or less, yeah. Can't blame me for that."

"No, I most certainly can't." Hunt lets out a chuckle. "I guess, I just had to let you know father to father, that I'm still….here. In the background. I don't know if Richard knows or if he even really wants to, but," he passes Jim an envelope, "if you could pass that along, I'd appreciate it."

The man is looking at him with an almost nervous stare for a man in such a 'business,' and he didn't miss the waver in his voice at referring to himself as a father. So he takes it, nods to him. "Sure."

"Just a note. To let him know I'm here." He winks before he replaces his sunglasses and hat as he stands. "It was nice meeting you James."

Jim takes the outstretched hand, shakes it with an understanding that this is just how things have to be. He finds that he's not as angry as he expected he would be.

"Oh," Hunt turns back around before he takes more than a few steps away, "tell them congratulations for me?"

Jim grins at the thought of Katie and Rick getting married next month.

The sun is glaring in his eyes so that he can barely see the man's face again, but he could hear it in his voice, the love and pride for his son and _his_ daughter.

"I will," he calls out.

Without another word the man is gone, slipping away with an outgoing group of co-eds, leaving Jim to watch from he bench.

The light cream-colored envelope sits slight in between his fingers, yet altogether heavy with importance. After the whole ordeal last year they hadn't spoken of Rick's mysterious father again. Just once when Katie told him and one brief mention when he couldn't help but tell the writer that he'd be around if he ever wanted to talk, and that was that.

It was as if nothing had ever happened.

He had hated the man for a while, couldn't find agreement with leaving a child behind for work. He would speak to his daughter or look at photos from her childhood and couldn't fathom ever being able to walk away willingly.

But now, after being welcomed by Rick and Martha, and Alexis, he felt sorry for the man.

They were wonderful and he would never be a part of their lives.

He fingered the envelope almost reverently before tucking it into his coat pocket. Yes, he'll call Katie, they'll all have dinner and he'll give Rick the note.

He'll revel in every moment spent with their family, while Hunt caringly watches from the outside.

Love enough for the both of them, Jim decides.

Father and father.

* * *

_Enjoyed? Leave me a word or two!? _

_**Tappin  
**_=)


End file.
